Salt shaker



June 21, 1938. P BERlNGER 2,121,116

SALT SHAKER Filed July 51, 193e ATTORNEYS WITNESS:

Patented June 21, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE SALT SHAKER PaulBernger, Ballantine, Monta Application July 31, 1936, Serial No. 93,715

5 Claims.

. `My invention relates to improvements in salt shakers of the so-calledbottom dispensing type. One object of my invention is to provide ashaker of this type equipped with eicient means for breaking up andloosening the `contents of the shaker, as for instance in damp weather,and especially adapted for clearing the usual sprinkling apertures' ofsalt deposits around the edges of the same and for closing saidapertures when the shaker `is not inuse.

Another object is'to provide a shaker designed to be readily and firmlygripped 'between the fingers of one hand and equippedfor manipulation bythe thumb of the same hand for breaking up the salt therein and openingand closing the shaker, as occasion may require.

Still another object is to provide a device of the character and for thepurposes set forth, which is strong and durable, readily cleaned, cannotbecome jammed,` and is economical to manufacture. j

To the accomplishment of the above, and subordinate objectspresentlyappearing, a preferred embodiment of my 'inventionhas been illustratedin the accompanying drawing, set forth indetail in the followingdescription,` and defined in the claims appended hereto.

In said drawing: Figure 1 is a view in vertical transverse section of myimproved shaker, in its preferred embodiment.

Figure 2 is a similar View of a stopper member,

detached.

.Figure 3 is a View in side elevation ofthe container part of the shakerwith the stopperdetached therefrom, and

Figure 4 is a view in horizontal section taken on the line 4'4 of Figure1 looking downwardly and drawn to an enlarged scale. Referring to thedrawing by numerals, my

improved shaker comprises a substantially eggshaped container I, ofsuitable light metal, provided in its larger end with sprinklingapertures 2, and having a plurality of legs 3 depending from said end.The smaller top end is open and provided with external threads 3. Thetop end is designed to be closed by a hollow stopper, or closure member5, having a reduced intermediate portion Ii, a flat top wall 'I, and abottom wall 8. The bottom wall 8 is a separate piece secured in thelower end of the stopper 5 in any suitable manner `and the lower end ofthe stopper extends below the wall 8 and is internally threaded, as

at 9, for attachment to the container I.

The means for clearing and closing the aperflat against the same andwith their straight .edges opposed. The shutters Ill are movable lat` 5erally toward and from each other to close and open the apertures 2 byan operating means II comprising two pairs of upper and lower togglelinks I2 and I3, respectively, disposed in the con-` tainer I. The lowerpair of links I3 have their lower ends fxedly secured, `in any suitablemanner, to the shutters Il),` respectively, and are pivotedV together,as at I4, intermediate their ends` in crossed relation. The upper linksI2A are pivoted at their lower ends, as at I5, to the15 upperends of thelower links I3 and connected at their upper ends by a common pivot I5 tothe lower end of a vertically disposed plunger rod I'I 'slidably mountedin the bottom wall 8 of the stopper to extend into the container I andthe"4 0 stopper 5. A cylindrical thumb button I8 is slidably mounted inthe upper wall 1 of the stopper member 5 to project therethrough. Thelower vend of the thumb button I8 is threaded, as at I9, onto the upperend of the plunger rod I1. A@ 25 coil compression spring 20, in thestopper member 5, is interposed between the thumb button I8 and thebottom wall 8 of said member 5, around the plunger rod II, and normallyurges said thumb button and rod outwardly. A ange 2I 30 onrthe lower endof the thumb button I8 limits outward movement of thelatter byengagement *with'the wall "I.

In the outward position'of the thumb button I8 and the plunger rod I1,the shutters Ill are 35 positioned in edge-to-edge abutting relation andthe apertures 2 covered and closed thereby. When the thumb button I8 ispushed inwardly, the shutters I 0 are moved apart under the action ofthe lazy tongs device II, to cover and open 40 the apertures 2 and, uponrelease of said button, are moved inwardly into edge-to-edge abuttingrelation under the urge of the spring 2|). It will be noted that thepivotal connection I4 of the links I3 provides for short upper leverarms 22 45 on the side of said pivot opposite the shutters I0 and longlever arms 23 between the said shutters and pivot, whereby under slightinward movement of the thumb button IB, the shutters I0 may be thrownapart into a widely separated 50 position. As will be clear, theshutters I0 function as Scrapers operating against the inner wall of thecasing I to break up salt at this point and to scrape salt deposits fromthe inner edges of the apertures 2. The links I2 and I3 function 55 tobreak up and separate the salt in the intermediate part of the containerI. Also the entire lazy tongs device II and shutters I may be rotated inthe container I by means of the thumb button I8 to vary the zone ofaction of the shutters I0 and to impart a rotational scraping action tosaid shutters. By detaching the stopper member and lifting the lazytongs device II through the open end of the container I, said member maybe spaced sufficiently from the open end of the container I to permitthe latter to be refilled. By unscrewing the thumb button I8 from theplunger rod I'I, the stopper member 5 may be detached from the lazytongs device for the purpose of cleaning or for replacement of parts.The described shape of the stopper member 5 facilitates gripping theshaker between the fingers of the hand for manipulation of the buttonI8, as will be obvious.

The foregoing detailed description will, it is believed, suice to imparta clear understanding of my invention, without further explanationthereof.

It is to be understood, however, that the details described in theforegoing are illustrative only and that right is herein reserved tomodications of such details falling within the scope of the claimsappended hereto.

What I claim is:

l. In a device of the class described, an ovalshaped containerhavinganopen end and a perforated end, a stopper for the open end of thecontainer, and means for opening and closing the perforated end of thecontainer comprising, a tensioned push button extending from saidstopper, a pair of shutters in said container iitting flat against theinner face of said perforated end and movable toward and from each otherto open and close said end, respectively, pairs of interconnected links,the links of one pair being Vsecured at one end to said shutters, and anoperating connection between said push button and ythe links of theother pair.

2. In a device of the class described, an ovalshaped container having anopen end and a perforated end, a stopper for the open end of thecontainer, and means for opening and closing the perforated end of thecontainer comprising,

a tensioned push button extending from said stopper, a pair of shuttersin said container fitting fiat against the inner face of said perforatedend and movable toward and from each other to open and close said end,respectively, pairs of interconnected links, the links of one pair beingsecured at one end to said shutters, and an operating connection betweensaid push button and the links of the other pair, said means beingmovable longitudinally of said stopper to vary the position of saidshutters in said container.

3. In a device of the class described, an oval shaped container havingan open end and a perforated end, a hollow stopper for the open end ofthe container, a flanged push button carried by the outer wall of saidstopper, a spring within said stopper engaging said button, a pair ofshutters in said container fitting Aiiat against the inner face of saidperforated end and movable toward and from each other to open and closesaid end, respectively, pairs of interconnected links, the links of onepair being secured at one end to said shutters, and an operatingconnection extending through the spring in said stopper and connectingsaid push button and the links of the other pair.

4. In a device of the class described, a hollow container having an openend and a perforate concave-convex opposite end, a hollow stopper forthe open end of the container, a anged push button carried by the outerwall of said stopper, a spring within said stopper engaging said button,a pair of shutters in saidcontainer fitting flat against the innerconcave face of said perforated end and movable toward and from eachother to open and close said end, respec-= tively, pairs ofinterconnected links within said container, the links of one pair beingsecured at one end to said shutters, and an operating connectionextending through the spring in said stopper and connecting said pushbutton and the links of the other pair.

5. In a device of the class described, a hollow container having an openend and a perforate concavo-convex opposite end, a hollow stopper forthe open end of the container, a iianged push button carried by theouter wall of said stopper, a spring within said stopper engaging saidbutton, a pair of shutters in said container fitting fiat against theinner concave face of said perforated end and movable toward and fromeach other to open and close said end, respectively, pairs ofinterconnected links within said container, the links of one pair beingsecured at one end to said shutters, and a plunger threadably secured atone end to said push button and extending axially of said stopperthrough the inner wall thereof, the other end of said plunger beingconnected to the links of the other pair.

PAUL BERINGER.

